Cleburne’s Richard Cuellar started strong at the Texas High School Powerlifting Association state meet Saturday, and despite a disappointing final lift, the Yellow Jacket senior concluded his high school career with a 10th-place finish. Through the first two lifts, Cuellar was in first place in the super heavyweight division, but a struggle in the deadlift resulted in falling to 10th place. Cuellar squatted 745 pounds and bench pressed 440 pounds to be in first place with a total of 1,185 pounds — 20 pounds ahead of the then-second place lifter, McAllen’s Arturo Ochoa, going into the deadlift. But Cuellar only pulled 425 pounds in the deadlift, missing his final two attempts at 515. “After bench, he was sitting in first place but we didn’t have the success we wanted to have in deadlift,” Cleburne Coach Marlon Winn said. “He did 500 in the deadlift like it was cake at the regional meet. We usually bump deadlift from 425 to 500, but I bumped it an extra 15 pounds to get him to 1,700 total. We just couldn’t get it.” Cuellar’s final tally at the state meet was 1,610 pounds, a strong number to close out his career. Even if Cuellar had managed to get the 515-pound deadlift, he would’ve finished in fifth place as the final top-4 finishers each deadlifted at least 575. Everman’s Caleb Reed won the super heavyweight state title with a total lift of 1,780 pounds. Ochoa finished second at 1,725. “He got to the big stage but I wish it would have came out a little different for him,” Winn said. “I’m extremely proud — extremely proud — of him. He’s done awesome things. I’m just as proud as I can be of him. He worked his butt off. He had a crazy work schedule to where there were odd times we had to work out. But he was always willing to put the work in; he never stepped down from it. “I’m proud of him as a kid, and he’s going to make a great citizen. He’ll be a great college student. I fully expect him to [continue his powerlifting career] at the next level.” In addition to Cleburne’s Kierstyn Catron qualifying for the state meet on the girls’ side, the Cleburne powerlifting program saw an increase in participation this year, and Winn said they hope to keep the upward trajectory going. “Hopefully the Cleburne powerlifting program continues to grow as a program and it’s something that people want to be a part of what we’re building,” Winn said. “I hope that it becomes a tradition around here. People like Beno and Kierstyn definitely give coaches something to be excited about that there’s kids like that around.” Burleson’s Jason Jones finished second in the 132 division with 1,240 total pounds (485 squat, 245 bench, 510 deadlift) and Burleson’s Jaterrius Pleasant placed third in the 275 division with 1,715 total pounds (645-415-655).